Castle

The precise location of Rathbennett Castle has not been identified. Castle depicted on the 1655-9 Down Survey map of Leny parish (NLI, MS 723-4), but not depicted on any edition of the OS 6-inch maps. The Down Survey parish recorded that the castle stood on the lands of Sir Thomas Nugent an 'Irish Papist'. The terrier of the Down Survey parish map of Leny recorded that ‘there are in this parish six castles vizt. at Rathbennett (WM011-060----), Farrow (WM011-055----) Cullanhue (WM011-007----) Ballinafid (WM011-077----) each one & at Ballinilack two castles (WM006-048----/-049----)’ (ibid.). On this map the castle is depicted as a tower house type structure overlooking the Golden Hand River and close to bogland in the townland of Rathbennett. The Golden Hand River is a stream which connects Lough Iron to Lough Owel with several watermills powered by the stream as depicted on the Down Survey maps. Rathbennett Castle appears to have been located in the fields N of Mullenoran Bridge. The fields inspected were based on an approximate location by superimposing an image of the Down Survey map onto the OS 6-inch map. This placed the castle in the area annotated as 'Blind Key' on the 1837 ed. OS 6-inch map. Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 3 October 2016

Rathbennett Castle was likely built in the 17th century, as indicated by its appearance on the 1655–1659 Down Survey map. Its importance lies in its historical record as a local stronghold, though its exact location and builder remain unidentified.